Help Mimsy Recover from a Medical Emergency

On the morning of July 4th, I woke up to my alarm—which was strange, because my cat Mimsy always wakes me up first. She’s usually making biscuits, purring like a chainsaw, and sticking her butt in my face to start the day. But that morning, she was nowhere to be found.

When I went to feed the cats, she still didn’t show up. I searched the house and outside, shaking her food and calling for her, but had no luck. Unfortunately, I had to leave for work. My sister kept looking, and a few hours later, Mimsy finally appeared on her own—but something was wrong.

She was lethargic, drooling heavily, and her pupils were dilated. My sister got ready to take her to the vet while I was still at work, feeling helpless. Every vet in Mount Airy was closed for the Fourth of July, and even the on-call vet didn’t respond despite multiple attempts. After my shift, I drove her 45 minutes to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic, where we waited for seven hours.

The timing couldn’t have been worse—I’d worked until past midnight the night before and opened again early that morning—so the long wait was the cherry on top  

The staff at the emergency clinic were kind and thorough. During her exam, they found ulcers all over her tongue. Bloodwork was done to rule out organ failure, especially liver issues, and thankfully, those results came back normal. Still, her diagnosis was vague—they said she may have:

-Licked or ingested something toxic

-Bitten an electric cord and gotten shocked

-Caught a virus that causes oral ulcers

They recommended hospitalizing her overnight, but the estimate was $1,500–$1,800. I couldn’t afford that, so I chose outpatient care. They gave her anti-nausea and pain medication to take home, and we left with a bill of $823—nearly all of my savings.

We got home just after midnight, and I gave her her first round of meds. Her mouth is still very sore, so I had to hand-feed her some wet food (yuck), and syringe her some water. But when she saw her brother and sister, her whole little body lit up with joy. And this morning, she woke me up exactly the way she always does.

I’m not asking for help for me—this is for Mimsy. She’s the one who needs care, comfort, and healing. I did what I had to do to make sure she was seen and treated, but as a full-time college student working full-time, this unexpected emergency hit hard financially.

If you’re in a position to help cover the cost of her care—or even just share her story—it would mean the world. Every little bit goes toward helping her recover and get back to being the loud, loving little goofball who wakes me up every morning.

Thank you so much for reading and caring about Mimsy. ❤️